6 Clever (and Creative!) Ways to Repurpose Glass Jars

They say someone's trash is another's treasure—and in this case, we couldn't agree more. Think twice before tossing out the used jar the next time you finish off a container of pasta sauce or jam.

After cleaning it out and removing the labels, you can use the jar for food prep, organization, home decor, and even crafts. We've curated a list of ideas, ranging from practical to creative, for repurposing glass jars to inspire you to give a new purpose to jars you likely already have at home.

1. Iced Coffee Cups

If social media hasn't influenced you to save your glass jars and use them as iced coffee cups yet, let us inspire you. The next time you finish off a jar of jam or pasta sauce, remove the label, wash it out, and use it as a travel coffee up—bonus points if the jar has a cute lid. Save yourself the work of doing extra dishes by shaking and mixing up your coffee ingredients right in the jar and bringing it with you to work or in the car (without having to worry about spills).

If you're not a coffee drinker, use glass jars as regular cups. Even if you don't regularly use them, make sure to save the lids in case you need to take a drink on the go.

2. Food Preparation

Repurpose glass jars when meal prepping for the week ahead. Glass jars make for great, on-the-go containers for make-ahead meals like overnight oats, salads, or parfaits. Or, if you don't use jars to carry your meals, use them for ingredient prep in your fridge or cabinets. Store homemade dressings, sauces, syrups, and pickled items in glass jars to keep them fresh. Plus, you can clearly see what's in the jar and how much is left.

3. Cabinet and Pantry Organization

If you prefer a cleaner and more organized look in your kitchen cabinets or pantry, keep dry foods and baking ingredients in reused glass jars. Ditch the plastic or cardboard box, pour the item in the jar, and make a custom label to identify the ingredient and it's specific nutrition facts. Use smaller jam and jelly jars to hold any spices, herbs, and seasonings. Use jars with similar or matching lids for each each food group for an even more organized look.

4. Vases

You don't need to purchase a new vase the next time you have a bouquet of fresh flowers. Use a clean pasta sauce or Mason jar as a vase instead. For one or two blooms, use smaller jelly and jam jars as makeshift bud vases. For larger bouquets, spread the flowers out in a collection of different-sized jars for a sprawling centerpiece.

5. Laundry and Cleaning Supplies

Reuse glass jars to hold homemade cleaning supplies. Mix up homemade spray cleaners and stain removers in a jar, and replace the original lid with a spray bottle top. If you prefer buying cleaning or laundry supplies at the store, but don't love the look of the packages, use old jars as new vessels for the products. Decant items like soap, laundry pods, dryer sheets, and scent-boosting beads.

6. Craft Projects

If you don't need any more pantry organization or coffee cups, reuse saved glass jars for craft projects. Host a candle-making party for your friends and use the jars, wax, and essential oils to make custom candles. You can even adhere pressed flowers or papier mache to the glass using decoupage glue for a one-of-a-kind look. Or, if you and your friends have green thumbs, turn large jars into small terrariums by adding moss, stones, sand, and small succulents.